The Digest:
Some Department of State Services (DSS) officers are privately lobbying influential Nigerians for personal security detail roles following the presidential order to withdraw police escorts. According to a confidential investigation, the officers see these postings as lucrative opportunities in a shifting security landscape.
Key Points:
- Some DSS officers are privately approaching VIPs to request deployment as their new security details
- A federal agency executive in Lagos said officers asked him to influence their posting to his "juicy" location
- An aide to a prominent Osogbo businessman confirmed similar lobbying efforts by DSS personnel
- A senior DSS source said only lower-cadre officers are making these moves, against current strict protocols
- Demand for private armed escorts has surged by up to 70% since the police withdrawal order
- Private security firms report being overwhelmed and note that the NSCDC is ill-prepared to fill the gap
- The Senate clarified that it will not seek collective protection for lawmakers, urging individuals to follow the NSCDC process
When a major policy shift creates a vacuum, informal networks and personal lobbying quickly emerge to fill it, transforming national security redeployment into a storm of individual opportunism. This revelation uncovers the human currents beneath a presidential directive, where systemic change meets the persistent allure of "juicy" postings.
Sources: Saturday PUNCH
